Disc arthroplasty is one way of treating injured, degraded, or diseased spinal discs. Some disc arthroplasty treatments include replacing injured discs of the joint with a motion-preserving spinal disc that allows some articulation or movement of the spinal joint. While the inserted disc may provide joint articulation to a patient, inserting the spinal disc can be an invasive and intensive procedure. For example, anterior procedures often require displacement of organs, such as the aorta and vena cava, and must be performed with great care. Further, because scar tissue may grow about the surgical site, any required second treatment can be more difficult, and may introduce additional distress to the patient.
What is needed is a prosthetic device for insertion into an intervertebral space that may be installed from a posterior position. The posterior joint replacement device disclosed herein overcomes one or more problems in the prior art.